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Cabinet Secretary publishes third tranche of Capability Reviews

Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell, today announced publication of five more Capability Reviews alongside a summary report on the key themes emerging from all twelve Reviews published so far. Reviews were published for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, International Development and Culture, Media and Sport. By the summer – a year into the programme – 15 reports will have been published covering nearly 80 per cent of the Civil Service.

Speaking to public service leaders, academics and representatives of front line public service delivery at the Public Services Reform Conference 2007 in London he said:

‘The Civil Service is a small but vital part of the broader public sector. Capability Reviews are about ensuring we keep our side of the reform bargain.

‘This next stage of reform is about increasing our capability to meet the challenges of the future. To do this we need to develop the skills to deliver better services to those who use and pay for them, and to influence our partners at home and abroad in pursuit of shared goals. The reviews will help us get there‘

Capability Reviews were announced for all Government departments in October 2005 and are robust, evidence based assessments of Departments' capabilities to meet significant future challenges. Reviews have already been published for the Home Office, Cabinet Office and Departments for Constitutional Affairs, Education and Skills, Work and Pensions, Trade and Industry and Communities and Local Government.

Each of the five reports published today includes a formal assessment of departmental capability in ten key areas and a response from the respective Permanent Secretary outlining which actions they intend to take as a result.

Notes to editors

1. The Capability Reviews and summary reports are published at www.civilservice.gov.uk/capabilityreviews [External website].
2. For queries concerning the Capability Review process and the governments public service reform programme please contact Deryn Wright in the Cabinet Office press office on 020 7276 3472.
3. For queries concerning individual department reports please contact the relevant Department Press Office:
   MOD: Katie Murphy – 020 7218 5340
   FCO: Doug Gray – 020 7008 4492
   Dfid: Trish O'Donnell – 020 7023 0821
   DCMS: Linda Martin – 020 7211 6273
   Defra: Anna Zachariassen – 020 7238 5599

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